Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn/Winter 2023 i Grow to Eat

Does anyone else come up with dramatic (and usually expensive) gardening projects right around the start of autumn? Maybe it’s the extra time spent outdoors over the summer months, but my brain is always packed with new ideas to tackle – as soon as it’s cool enough outside to get started. This year, that project is a home orchard. I have a couple of nut trees and a litchi tree, along with a lonely lemon in a pot and a granadilla vine (with the help of our Summer 2022 issue). But there is something alluring about the idea of being able to pick whatever fresh fruit I fancy from rows of trees in my own garden. Luckily, Izolda has come to the rescue with a complete guide on how to…

Curry leaf tree Every garden deserves a curry leaf tree to enjoy fresh leaves for your Indian or Thai-style dishes. You can even grow them indoors – see pages 54 for details. Fennel seed Fennel has a distinctive anise flavour that adds depth to this spice mix. Grow fennel in the herb garden for the bulb which makes a wonderful salad ingredient and for the seed for use in baking and spice mixes. Cumin seeds The dried seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant is what cooks use as cumin or jeera and is a member of the parsley family. You can grow your own cumin from seed (available for sale online) but they need a few specific instructions. They do not transplant well so it’s advisable to sow seed in…

For this recipe, it’s best to use the spices whole and discard them when portioning out the drink. Grinding down the spices will give the finish a gritty texture which is not pleasant. For the recipe 1 orange sliced500ml fresh orange juice1 bottle red wine – use a good blend rather than inferior wine or you will taste it1 cup sugar2 cinnamon sticks2 star anise7 cloves3 slices fresh ginger150ml brandy – this is optional but gives it a good kick to keep you warm Add all the ingredients (except the brandy) to a large saucepan and heat on a low temperature for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don’t want to boil the mixture but rather just have it warm. Add the brandy if using, discard the spices and pour into…

• Durban masala – a masala is a combination of spices roasted and ground to form a paste or a powder. This makes up the base for any good Durban curry and includes ingredients like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamon pods, mace, nutmeg, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, chillies, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, curry leaves. • Garam masala – this aromatic blend of spices is for ‘pepping up’ the curry a few minutes before serving. Unlike the other spices that need to be heated at the beginning of cooking to release the flavours, garam masala is added at the end as a finisher. The added spice rounds off the dish. It includes spices like coriander seeds, mace, peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamon pods and cinnamon that…

Depending on when you planted your leeks, they should be ready to harvest from the end of summer through the cooler months, right up until early spring. This quintessential winter vegetable is an ideal nutrient-packed addition to soups or stews to keep you warm as temperatures drop. To harvest your leeks in the coming months, dig the entire plant out using a fork to keep the roots intact. While you can pull them by hand, lifting limits damage and keeps the short-lived leeks fresher for longer periods. It’s best to wait to harvest until you are ready to use them as they only last around a week in the fridge. For those left out in the garden, mound soil around the base and mulch to protect the roots during temperature…

The delightfully fragrant rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is one of the most rewarding herbs to grow outdoors. Known for its culinary, medicinal and cosmetic properties, rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region where it typically experiences hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Rosemary can be grown as an excellent hedge in any part of the garden, but especially around the vegetable garden to provide protection from wind. If you have a sunny spot in the kitchen and you use the herb regularly, it should do well in a small container on the windowsill too. Growing conditions Typically, rosemary requires full sun to maintain its dense, upright form, but it will tolerate some early morning or late afternoon shade. It enjoys a light, well-draining medium and will not thrive in a…

Also used extensively in Thai cooking, curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is used fresh in curries, soups, stews and sauces. It can also be dried and bottled, but if possible is best used fresh, which is why everyone should grow one – even indoors. They do well in hot humid conditions, which can easily be mimicked in an indoor environment as long as you have a sunny spot for it. This small bush or tree will grow up to 6m if not constrained by a pot, and it produces small white flowers that are very fragrant which turn into black round fruits. The berries are edible but a huge disclaimer – the seeds are poisonous and should not be consumed. Once the seeds are popped out, the fruit is eaten fresh…

Gone are the days where orchards were banished to the back garden, or needed large expanses of meadow, to grow in row upon row. With so many compact hybrids of fruit trees becoming available to us gardeners, there is no reason not to get digging and plant an orchard. Not only will you have the benefit of fruit, but trees also provide shade and attract pollinators – all beneficial to creating a healthy and diverse ecosystem. With a few simple observations of your garden, good planning and the right choice of trees, your home orchard could give you years of bounty. Deciding on where to plant The ideal planting area should be level enough to support the tree roots, with fertile loamy soil. Should you discover that your soil is…

Protecting veggies from early frost In some areas, frost may be a problem for some veggies and it will be devastating to lose a crop that you have worked so hard to grow. It’s time to move your veg into a grow house. In areas where you know frost may take your crops, rather grow them in containers that can be moved into a safe and protected place in times of extreme cold and frost. What to sow for a winter harvest Hardy vegetables to sow in autumn to harvest in winter include broccoli, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peas, radishes, turnips, mustard greens, carrots, beetroot, parsnips, spring onions, broad beans, cabbage and cauliflower – all the wonderful veg to make a delicious, hearty soup. The best start To make sure…

Lemon zest The skin of a lemon has the most intense flavour and it’s a great way to add a lemony taste that goes so well with fish. 1 medium lemon will make about 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest and 1 teaspoon dried lemon zest. To dry the zest for this spice mix, grate the washed lemons finely with a grater or microplane. Place the zest on a tray on baking paper and dry out at room temperature for about an hour. Garlic Growing your own garlic (Allium sativum) is incredibly rewarding. The best time to plant garlic is in the cooler months from May to August so that they have time to form bulbs. They need a temperature of around 10°C to do this. Plant garlic in a sunny…

Autumn and winter is a time when much of the ornamental garden dies down. Although we may spend less time in the garden in general (especially for those living in frosty parts of the country) the time we do have can be directed where it is needed most – the vegetable garden. Winter is prime time for brassicas and with that, pesky brassica pests. If you’re struggling with any of these bugs in winter, make sure you follow the guide to get rid of them before they take over the rest of the garden. But first, if you’re still considering what to grow in your veggie garden this year, why not try one of the many wonderful indigenous vegetables on the market, easy to grow and packed with nutritional benefits.…

South African vegetables are incredibly resilient, adapting to local conditions well and growing in our gardens with little fuss. They also offer a solution to problems caused by climate change and a lack of food security across the country. With so many benefits, why are they so underutilized? Ask South African edible gardeners, small scale or large, what they grow in their gardens and you’re likely to hear the same answers over and over. Tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, onions, potatoes – the list goes on. You’ll probably hear the same thing from aspiring gardeners who have yet to start their veggie patch too. As an experiment, go ahead and think about your perfect vegetable garden and what it includes, or ask the people around you. Of the many possible answers, did…

We could say out with the old, in with the new, but NO DIG gardening, although a fairly new concept in South Africa, has been used for a very long time in other parts of the world. Bearing in mind that the health and integrity of the soil is paramount for a sustainable vegetable garden, it would make sense that by maintaining the life that already exists in the soil and by adding additional nutrition, you would be creating the best possible environment for your seeds and seedlings, to grow and flourish. No dig gardening is a method of gardening that does not involve turning over or tilling the soil. Instead, it relies on adding organic matter, mainly in the form of good organic compost and fertiliser – like vermicompost…

Kiwi fruits add a touch of tropical summer to the cooler autumn and winter months when they are ready for harvesting. They come in handy for those sunny South African winters where the weather is cool but the sunshine bright. To remind you of summer, use this year’s kiwi harvest to make a refreshing lemonade with a tangy twist. Peel 4 ripe and sweet kiwis and toss them into a blender with the juice of 3 large lemons. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 4 cups of water and blend until combined. For a slushy texture, add ice to the blender or pour over ice afterwards for finishing touches.…

My latest expedition takes me on a journey from Cape to Kruger, through the Blyde River Canyon to the Greater Kruger region of Limpopo. My focus of this trip was to search for the forgotten and highly nutritional monkey orange – Strychnos sp. There are various species of monkey orange which are easily identifiable by the plant. Corky monkey orange The corky monkey orange (Strychnos cocculoides) is easily distinguished by its pale grey corky bark. This species generally grows in areas prone to annual fires. It is a survivalist as it protects itself in two ways, either through its fire-prone-resistant corky bark or by protecting reserves underground which resprout after the fire, enabling it to regrow and to bear delicious, sweet fruit from the additional carbon from the fires which…

Paprika peppers For flavour but not too much heat, paprika peppers are worth growing in the garden in spring and summer. They are also very flavourful when dried and crushed or ground for this recipe. To do this, wear gloves as they can still burn your skin. Cut off the tops and discard the seeds and the membranes inside. Cut into thin slivers and place on baking paper in a single layer. For the oven, place on a baking tray and set the oven to 60°C. Leave the door open a little for the moisture to escape and cook for 30 minutes at a time, checking on them regularly. It may take 2-3 hours for them to dry completely and then they can be ground in a spice grinder. Leave…

For those of us lucky enough to live in KwaZulu-Natal, a Durban curry is part of everyday life. And it’s thanks to our Indian population (the biggest outside India) that we have this spicy deliciousness. It all started many decades ago when the British, in charge at the time, brought over indentured Indian labourers to work on the sugar plantations (1860). This system stipulated that after 5 years labourers were free to contract with employers of their choice and after 10 years they could obtain free passage back to India. Despite their mistreatment and oppression many decided to stay in South Africa and became successful farmers and businessmen. When they arrived, they brought with them their particular vegetable and herb seeds from home and later some opened businesses which included…

The good news is that the colder the weather, the fewer the pests, if any. The bad news is that when it starts warming up from August onwards, the pests come out to breed and feed. Of course, it all depends on the temperatures, which means that the two critical periods are in autumn with its warm days, when the seedlings are planted out, and in spring when there is active growth and heads are developing. Five main brassica pests Snails and slugs These pesky critters are still active in autumn and are a threat to newly planted seedlings. What to use: Biogrow Ferramol is pet-friendly and not poisonous to birds. Natural remedies include salt (but this can affect the soil pH), beer traps, crushed eggshells and other snail traps.…

Nothing warms us up better in the cooler months than a hearty meal packed with the perfect herbs and spices. Many herbs are too tender to grow in the cold, but there are a few hardy staples like rosemary that pair wonderfully with winter dinners. Or, you can try growing your herbs indoors where they are protected, like the popular curry leaf tree. If you want to get creative with your harvested herbs and spices, put them to good use in a homemade spice mix or pop a few beneficial plants into your favourite beauty products for their added benefits.…

Fruit trees are often overlooked in the garden in favour of easier herbs and vegetables to grow. That is understandable – growing fruit trees takes tons of time, patience and space in the garden. But the reward received for carefully caring for a bounty of fruit trees far surpasses the effort of growing them, allowing you to harvest the juiciest and tastiest produce from your own garden year after year. Take a look at our ultimate guide to starting your own mini orchard at home, full of all your favourite fruits. And, if your existing trees aren’t producing in the way you hoped, we’ve got troubleshooting tips to resolve your problems.…

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